Norman Rockwell Museum – Enjoying a Piece of Americana

You can’t say that you’re doing a “Tour de Western Mass” trip without visiting the Norman Rockwell Museum. You just can’t.

So Benny and I decided that we would have a different sort of adventure: Today, we were going to an art museum.

I know that going to an art museum isn’t something we usually write about, but the Norman Rockwell museum in Stockbridge, MA, is worthy of a visit even for those who don’t consider themselves to be art people, or, in Benny’s case, art animals.

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The Saturday Evening Post

I’ve always admired Norman Rockwell’s ability to capture daily American life in his paintings. If you’re not already in the know, his works appeared on the cover of The Saturday Evening Post publication. The first exhibit we stopped at showcased all of these works on three walls.

We stayed in this room for at least 20 minutes. Benny, of course, loved Norman Rockwell’s adventure-themed paintings. When he saw the one below, he screamed out, “Adventure!” which earned us a few looks from fellow museum-goers.

The Gallery

The upstairs gallery at the Norman Rockwell Museum is roomy and is a very comfortable environment to walk around and admire Rockwell’s paintings.

Benny, trying to fit in with the art crowd, walked slowly around with one paw under his chin. He stared intently at a few paintings, and, in a forced aristocratic accent, said, “Bob, I do appreciate Rockwell’s brushstroke technique in the lower left corner of this work and how he was trying to convey a certain, how do you say, comprehension of the interminability of daily struggles.”

“Benny,” I replied, “Norman Rockwell was a talented, down-to-earth artist. You don’t have to sound snooty when you admire his work.”

“Oh, thank goodness!” Benny exclaimed, looking visibly relieved. Fancy, high-class environments aren’t our cup of tea, and he was glad that he could just be himself at the museum.

“Wow! What a metaphysical painting!” Benny exclaimed as he saw the above art.

“Benny, you don’t have to…”

“Bob, I mean it! If I hadn’t, I would have said it in an accent.”

He never ceases to amaze me.

Nostalgic and Historic Paintings

The Norman Rockwell Museum contains many paintings that capture American nostalgia and historic moments.

Benny wanted to check the authenticity of the Corn Flakes box. He said that there should still be cereal inside. Thankfully, the box was surrounded by a plastic barrier that prevents mischievous bears from getting in.

Rockwell is also known for his Four Freedoms paintings, which were painted during WWII.

The Norman Rockwell Museum has the brown jacket of the man that Rockwell painted in his “Freedom of Speech” portrait. Thankfully it was in a display case, because Benny wanted to try it on.

Rockwell’s painting that most moved me was his The Problem We All Live With, which depicts a young Ruby Bridges being protected by US Marshals on her way to school. My own paraphrasing of the painting wouldn’t do it justice, so I included a photo of the museum’s own description. I can’t imagine being a six-year-old walking to school and having people yelling at me, calling me racial slurs, and throwing things at me all because of my own background.

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We enjoyed our time at the Norman Rockwell Museum, and we suggest you check it out too. For up-to-date information on museum hours and admissions, go to: Norman Rockwell Museum.

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Join us on our New England adventures and beyond!

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More places in Western Mass to explore:

• Shelburne Falls Trolley Museum
• Climbing South Mount Sugarloaf
• Make Your Own Candle at the Yankee Candle Headquarters
• Check out Dinosaur Footprints
• The Titus Mansion Ruins at Ashintully Gardens
• The Housatonic River Walk, Great Barrington
• The Norman Rockwell Museum

Check out our map of places we’ve been in New England!